Elektra (2005)

A follow up to the 2003 movie Daredevil starring Ben Affleck, the Elektra director’s cut provides a bonus scene answering how Elektra cheats death from her confrontation with Bullseye above the rooftops of Hell’s Kitchen.    Released in January of 2005, a month when studios feel a movie has a better chance at the box office as opposed to a cluttered summer season.  Elektra begins with a double opening sequence, the first being an animation. The animation is narrated by Terrance Stamp as his character of Stick, delivering an exposition of good versus evil.  Stick explains that this Evil was given a name ‘The Hand’; and a girl who was destined to tip the balance of power in the war between good and evil.  The second exposition is provided by Jason Isaacs as Mob boss DeMarco – to illustrate how relentless and efficient a contract killer Elektra is.  Both exposition are intentionally vague and misguides the audience until a revelation halfway into the story and at the end of the movie.

The introduction does provide one valuable piece of information, that forces of good can master the art of Kimagure.   The ability of precognition and resurrection being it’s the most powerful attributes; the idea that Jesus Christ could be a master of Kimagure did not escape me, but exploring the idea of a known pacifist and a secret martial arts master sounds more of a thesis instead of a blog; so I’m going to just accept the ground rules as told to us at the beginning of the movie.

In context of other Marvel properties of its time, the trilogy of Blade movies had concluded, Xmen and Xmen United had their theatrical release and Xmen Last Stand was slated to be release the following year of 2006. Spiderman 2, the most critically successful of the Tobey Maquire and Sam Raimi series was released into theatres in the summer of 2004, existing between Daredevil and Elektra’s theatrical runs, and as such the audience expectation for a resurrected assassin based on a Frank Miller creation was very high; Compounding the expectation was a heavily promoted Sin City which was set to release in April of that year, that Miller help Co-direct with Robert Rodriguez and concluding chapter of the Star Wars saga with Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith, set to be released in May.  The 2000’s was no doubt a decade of big budget special effects and action set pieces.  The Original Matrix Movie and the first Brendan Fraser’s The Mummy movie debuted in 1999, and had elevated a level of theatrical going experience for an action flick; the appetite for more sensational storytelling and epic special effects was in the air as both the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Matrix Trilogy had their saga close out in the summer of 2003, thus it was not too surprising that fans were taken a back from a more toned down and character driven movie that was Elektra.

Producer Avi Arad who was present at all Marvel properties while in production before their theatrical releases, has championed the concept of character to drive the motivation of the movie.  The film must reflect the comic book characters, and their 10+ to 40+ year history.  That history shapes what we see on screen and pleases an already vetted fan base.  This is why the films we see contain memorable moments or lines of dialogues that stay with fans for decades.   Director Rob Bowman pitched a character driven story over an action movie, and producers Gary Foster and Avi Arad who were instrumental in both Daredevil and Elektra jumped at Bowman’s proposal. Stuart Zicherman and M. Raven Metzner had drafted the initial script and Zak Penn took over the writing and did all the re-writes while the film was in production. 

The movie, in the end under performed at the box office and critics and most fans panned the movie. Its star Jennifer Garner was the only shining highlight. Her performance as the title character and talent as an action star were attributes the audience were positive about, and as such Garner walked away from the movie relatively unscathed.  As shooting began on May 4^th and lasted for 62 days, Garner was also in her second season of Alias while filming the movie, Starting in Vancouver and finishing in LA. The shooting was choreographed mostly around Garner’s already established Alias schedule. That compounded Bowman to work around re-writes, scouting, and preparation.  So his entire crew would shoot from 8 to 12 different locations in one day to maximize Garner’s availability.  The scheduled reshoots was clearly defined once the film was largely edited; and began final preparations in fall of 2004, and the movie was ready one month before it theatrical launch. 

The filmmakers under estimated the audience of the time, and now removed  over two decades later the film is not as bad as it was first perceived amongst the noise of big budget motion pictures.  An analogy to compare is Solo- A Star Wars story, the movie is wonderful movie when taken on its own value, its was doomed to fail because it’s based on an established story and beloved character. If the movie was called Cowboy Troy and the space pirates, it would have a better reception and lovingly being compared as giving homage to star wars.  Elektra is not too different; it’s an established character about an assassin tempered to a pg-13 rating, with fewer action set pieces normally considered for the genre. As an independent movie like Sci/fy channel or Netflix, the film would find its niche audience, there are choices made both on screen and on the written page that can be argued.  The movie is a step up from Daredevil, by the charisma of its lead, and not as over the top in its portrayal of its characters.  It’s a colorful palette and host of unusual characters brings a curiosity, but just not enough bite. 

Ant-Man (2015)

 

Making its way to the big screen, Director Peyton Reed and Producer Kevin Feige had to give some acknowledgements to Director Edgar Wright and his writing partner Joe Cornish who poured a decade of their time with the Ant-Man property.  Wright initially created the test screen action sequence which was ultimately recreated on the final product, and can be argued as the best action sequence of the movie.  Saturday Night Live Writer and now major Hollywood director Adam Mckay and actor Paul Rudd re-wrote the final script, but kept the heist and basic structure of the original script intact.  .

Ant-man is the comic relief to an otherwise worldly serious, action drama known as the marvel cinematic universe.  Comedy as found with the Oscars is largely unrecognized for its contributions and skill sets; Ant-Man in its relation with the marvel universe is a lower tier character, with lower tier set of problems.  By design, the movie won’t hold high in too many viewers list as a top ranking MCU property.   Kind of like a wrestling match before the main event, you normally place a lower tier match so that the headliner will close off the show on a high note in comparison.  Which were the case between infinity war and endgame; Ant-man and the Wasp was the buffer between films.  The film does have a broader appeal to a younger audience, keeping core values of family, with the love of a father and daughter being the sole motivation of fueling the movie.  Scott Lang after losing time in prison wants to be part of his daughter’s life and must adhere to certain caveats placed before him.  Hank Pym protected his daughter at arm’s length, has to mend his broken relationship to eventually realize the solution to his problems is really just under his nose.  The purpose of Scott Lang in any movie is all about the heist, his crew feels like an episode of the Marx brothers re-enacting the heist from ocean’s eleven.  Rudd had trained in gymnastics and low end parkour and got in ripped shape to play the part of Scott Lang. The flips and twirls over a wall was the actor doing those particular stunts.

Known for being a dramatic actor throughout his career, Michael Douglas contributing reason on why he took on the role is similar to that of Tim Roth.  Roth happily took to his part in the Incredible Hulk for his young son.  To show his work with, and that his son would be proud to share among his peers.  Douglas’s body of work is not tailored for a very young audience, he is still largely remembered for his role in Basic Instinct and Fatal attraction; Hank Pym was a character in a movie that his young children could go see, and think their dad was cool. Also his close circle of friends comprised of Danny DeVito and Jack Nicholson encouraged him as they were both featured in Tim Burton’s Batman movies respectively and helped him weigh the pros and cons of the decision.

Michael Pena is a surprising character; as the eternal optimist Luis, The van in which Luis picks up Scott from prison is a metaphor of the Character, he can experience deep personal loss, but looks at the smallest things and sees the positives in life.  That upbeat spirit and optimism, brings an aurora of positivity for the character, and the radio script he delivers in the movie on two occasions are a joy. Meaning the act of narrating a set of sequences at a constant rate of speed with prolific detail, as the recap showcases present individuals matching Luis’ speech in the process of telling his story.

 

 

Future is Now

Johnny Mnemonic introduces its audience to a cyberpunk dystopian future; that when observing its background setting makes it the first movie in cinematic history to capture the full extent of our real future by almost 100%.   Meaning the film was released in theatres in 1995, and takes place today 25 years in the future.  Opening up in Beijing China on  January 17th, 2021, and resolving a couple days later in Newark New Jersey. The events and problems of the world that did not exist in 1995, but are fully enacted in 2021, and matching a time frame of events that correspond to Covid-19 life today.

Based on a short story by famed science fiction writer William Gibson who helped pioneer the subgenre known as cyberpunk.  Johnny Mnemonic tells of a story of when the world's population is ravage by an epidemic plague called Nerve Attention Syndrome (NAS) that brings convulsions and other health problems.  Technology that bombards us is muddily explained as the cause, and a large Asian corporation has had the cure. This cure resides in Johnny's mind, as his brain becomes an information courier to be downloaded at a remote destination.  The film misses the mark on the actual representation and use of technology of  today, but what it makes is a historic landmark on how it differs  from movies with tales of the future, such as Omega Man,  Terminator, Barb Wire, and HG Wells Time Machine; all of which provides us a year and a prediction of events.  Unfortunately they all rarely predict the world as it is.  Johnny Mnemonic defies that, by not only shattering the best fortune tellers and Nostradamus predictions of our time, it out right time stamps it, while thinly dramatized in a vail of absurd story telling.

My disclaimer, the following are mere observations, and no way suggest any personal or political beliefs, just witnessing some similarities within recent events. The movie was a cyberpunk story, Keanu Reeves  is also the promotional face of a new cross platform game by CD Projekt Red's role playing game called Cyberpunk 2077, which launched on December 10th, 2020 Where his character named Johnny Silverhand  a former terrorist and punk guitarist living in the minds of players offering advise and sarcastic gibes. Keanu who was initially scoffed at, as one note actor whose Theodore Logan bland surfer persona would be his only cinematic contribution. On November 20th, 2020 in an article from the New York Times, Keanu was ranked fourth from "The 25 Greatest actors of the 21st Century".  My point to bring up here is that  there is no conspiracy with this actor; and with Matrix 4 set to be released in late 2021 by a legally embattled Warner Brothers who is owned  by AT&T from its purchase in 2018.  AT&T is sponsored heavily in the movie Johnny Mneumonic.  And Keanu Reeves is an obvious fan of the cyberpunk genre as some film choices do reflect that genre is some cases.

Reality check: after one full year the world has  been embattled in a global pandemic with Covid-19, January will see the official global roll out for the vaccine. January 2021, as the movie concludes with information behind and the cure for NAS is released online to the world.   

Chinese government and its' communication giant Huawei has been in the headlining news all year, eradicating movements of democracy in its country, the planned trial of two Canadians imprisoned for alleged espionage,  and Huawei CEO held into custody for US Justice extradition. Are some reasons for civil unrest. The opening of the movie begins in Beijing China where the cure for the epidemic was kept all along in their research labs, as protesters and health scanners exist at security & travel check points.  For the longest time Wuhan was the allege outbreak source to world's pandemic. Conversely Mainland China has continued to keep it's country vastly unaffected  by the pandemic. Making many conspiracy theorist to speculate.

The villain in the movie is the big corporation, as there is no money in the cure. PharmaKon can prosper on medical aids as opposed to blockers to eradicate which is what Pfizer, AstraZenca, and Moderna are proposed to do.

The internet is main source of public and private communications, the world has adapted to video conferencing. Zoom calls in the classroom, office, and for general business practices and social  gatherings has become the new normal. Medical clinics are common place for human interaction, and among the homeless as those who  have no where to self isolate are the only ones  found with continued close contacts. The Lo-teks, and homeless are the only people seen on the streets of Newark, The elite rich which is represented by the Rafi character are partying in very inclusive nightlife venues that are kept small in scope to traditional night clubs.  The headlining news to end out 2020, was actor Elliot Page, being recognized as transgender.  There are two prominent characters who are not the principle actors, but however have a large role in the movie and are recognized as significant players in telling this story, giving strong representation of the LGBQ community. Something that was not widely accepted  yet in 1995.

Henry James

 

Henry James
b. April 15, 1843 - d. February 28, 1916

Henry James, an American writer, whose father Henry James Sr. was a writer whose works’ was theologian in nature; while his brother William was a psychologist. The desire to explore a psychological narrative in his stories rubbed off on Henry as his works explores marital interplay, and the mental distresses of one's social state. However, collectively all his works were transfixed on Trans-Atlantic culture, as he wrote about the New World. A place where he was born and raised.   In 1875, at the age of 32 Henry moved to Europe and began his career as a novelist publishing his first book titled Roderick Hudson in 1876, Originally published as a serial in the Atlantic Monthly (in 1875), the adaptations can be collected in 3 volumes  as a 482 page novel.

Many of Henry James' finest short stories are about writers and artists; others, most notably The 1898 novel Turn of the Screw - subtly terrifying ghost stories has James pegged as a psychologist of the reflective and conscious mind.  James preferred characters with the capacity to be "finely aware" of their predicaments and "richly responsible".  When he wrote The American (1877) his second serial which ran from 1876 to 1877 at the Atlantic Monthly (in Boston)  that story was more puritan conscious, the next century his writing style was considered to be  more elaborate as he focused his attentions to the leisurely class. Critics perceived that his concern with the leisurely class was more of him reflecting his awareness of the decadence of an acquisitive society.  Henry James received honorary degrees from Oxford and Harvard and was the recipient of the Order of Merit. Late in life he was nominated 3 times for a Nobel peace prize in literature; as he eventually settled in England and became a British citizen in 1915.

To only die a year later in his English home from pneumonia, in 1916.

              His Note Worthy Works:

            Roderick Hudson (1875)

            The American (1877)

            Daisy Miller (1878)

            Washington Square (1880)

            The Portrait of a Lady (1881)

            The Bostonians (1886)

            The Turn of the Screw (1898)

            Wings of the Dove (1902)

            The Beast in the Jungle (1903)

            The Ambassadors (1903)

            The Golden Bowl (1904)

Many of Henry James' noteworthy works have been adapted as either of theatrical/ Broadway play or BBC televised broadcast, or a combination of both.  As listed many of his works has been made into a feature length movies and were given theatrical releases. With big modern day names attached to those projects, like Merchant Ivory, Peter Bogdanovich, and Ian Softley to direct.  The Ambassadors was never adapted into a movie, but was a main source of inspiration for the writing of the Talented Mr. Ripley.

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

While developing and executing Phase two;  Marvel witnessed the success of phase one , The television division  coined the phrase it’s all connected and  began to slowly expand its stable of properties for the small screen.  Age of Ultron would be the last tent pole project from Joss Whedon, as the stage is now being set for the infinity Saga. The Age of Ultron would mark the end of the first iteration of the rise of the superhero, as Marvel Studios looked into launching its next phase.
There was a  book published called it's all connected, showcasing seasons 1 & 2 of both Agent Carter and Agents of Shield with a who's who in breaking down of characters complete with photos and images. The book works as an illustrated deep dive into the characters and their history, weaponology,  blueprints of vehicles and episode breakdowns. While its reviewing the televised history of characters it does bring in some relations with the cinematic universe.  Its posed as a companion piece to compliment both television series as you view them.

There are a few minor questions that are answered off screen to explain a few set ups not provided in the movie. For the comic book fan who went into the comic book store at the time, there was an Age of Ultron movie prequel book that gave a little more detail on the Maximoff siblings and how Hydra gained Chitari weapons, the leviathan, and Loki’s Sceptor during the fall of Shield.  For the loyal viewer of Marvel’s Agents of Shield, episode 19 titled ‘The Dirty Half Dozen’, gave us the name of former Nazi officer/Hydra leader Baron Wolfgang von Strucker, the show provides the location of his base of operations in Sokovia, and that Loki’s Scepter currently resides there.  The final moments of the episode leaned into that a lot of funding, time and secret meetings went into preparing an operation called Theta protocol.  Theta protocol was a facility led by appointed Director Phil Coulson to repair Helicarrier No. 64 so that in case of grave emergency it can be recommissioned.

The film, bypasses those connective build ups by implying the Avengers united shortly after the events of the fall of Shield, and have been invading discovered Hydra compounds looking for the scepter together. There are a couple holes in that logic, the final lines given by Maria Hill and Nick Fury in the 2012 Avengers movie are of when we will need the team again; the implication is set to be at another near extinction-level event.  Every film that followed the original Avengers movie would call for another Avenger to enter the movie to assist; when the President was kidnapped Captain America with the inclusion of War Machine would be utilized in Iron Man 3.  Hawkeye, War Machine and maybe Stark could have appeared at the fall of Shield or when Captain America was wanted for treason. When Malekith and the Dark Elves invaded and nearly destroyed London, and with Thor back on Earth. That Alien invasion would have brought the Avengers minus the Hulk to Aid the people of London, England.The communication the team had with Thor back on Earth would have taken place after Dark World Events while he visits Jane Foster. The quality of visiting Jane was slightly dismissed in a conversation at a party 3 days after they retrieved the scepter from Von Strucker’s stronghold, but necessary to explain the absence of characters in the logistics of the story telling. The invasion of a human stronghold is not recognize as a level event requiring the Hulk, Thor and the Avengers to invade, but with Shield gone it’s a covert operation led by Captain America and funded by Tony Stark, with Maria Hill acting as Security on behalf of Stark while stationed at Avenger’s tower.

  

Joss Whedon has gone on record in interviews that though happy to be given the opportunity of writing and directing and seeing his vision of Ultron, and bringing forth the infinity saga. It was exhausting for a person to do back to back epic tent pole blockbuster movies. Age of Ultron had the cast and crew travel to different parts of the world to film the movie, with the scope and the textures of filming a grander movie than its predecessor. Whedon’s upscale would be the needed blueprint to prepare not just the audience but Marvel Studios to tell the story of the Infinity Saga.  With Downey Jr. contract up for negotiation, and infusing new and old characters in the Avenger’s line up, the film reflected the change which took place periodically in the comics.  Marvel was positioning themselves and an accepting audience of change ups in the status quo.   Clint Barton’s desire to retire and be a family man and raise his 3 children that would include archery to his only daughter Kate.

The Hulk would not return for a couple of more years until an off world story fulfilling Thor’s vision of Ragnork and the infinity gems would come to pass; as prescribed with the Norns of Fate foretelling in Thor’s pool of water sequence. The revised Avengers team was the base of characters to star in Captain America: Civil War. While Scarlet Witch gave the team living nightmares, it sets up Tony’s Starks motivation behind the Iron Legion, his panic attack worm hole experience that led to his desire to create Ultron and ultimately Vision, and the movie introduces a small back story to Black Widows origins and finding a family with the Avengers was scratched upon the surface, before being explored in her solo Black Widow movie.

Daredevil and season one of all of the Marvel Netflix stable of series would have existed during this time by way of chronology in storylines, Tandy & Tyrone of Cloak and Dagger may have not met yet but have just entered the first years of High school, while Peter Parker was just becoming a friendly neighborhood Spiderman as the death of Uncle Ben would transpired at around this time.  On Television, Agent Carter Season Two had debuted over the winter and would set up connective stories to unfold in Marvel’s Agents of Shield including Agent Sousa.  Daniel Sousa, who would be a founding member of Shield, also became its final member as the series would reach its final mission. With Whedon no longer involved with the cinematic universe, communication and notes between the film and television division did not take place with the exception of Hayley Atwell and the Peggy Carter character. The agents of shield no longer had a crossover in story with the MCU and the Cameos to cinematic world would also stop.